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Marc Martel – ‘The First Noel EP’ album review

Forget the fact that this second annual Christmas offering by vocal prowess Marc Martel is a mere six tracks—as soon as the first tones from Martel’s collaboration with Plumb on “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” begin to ring out, you’ll immediately be searching for the “Repeat All” button. Restating that he is one of Christian music’s most true and rarest talents (and we’re lucky to claim him), Martel doesn’t hold anything back on this short set of Christmas favorites—whether he’s crooning like Freddie Mercury, or slaying it classically on “Ave Maria” or “The Hallelujah Chorus.” Speaking of Queen, The First Noel EP (buy) definitely weaves-in that influence, now a signature nod from Martel, heard in the “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” inspired aforementioned opener, to the epic “The Show Must Go On” style of the EP’s title track, and the gang vocal intro a-la “Bohemian Rhapsody” on “The Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel‘s Messiah. For all its likeness to the legendary British band and its former leader—intrinsic to his delivery and performance—his solo and collaborative works, even his current gig in fronting Queen Extravaganza, Martel firmly plants his own unique stamp on this EP and its contents. How is so much substance, style, and range packed into such a brief, six-song project? One name: Marc Martel.

About The Author

After both on-stage and front-office experience in the Christian recording industry, (including co-founding Exit 3 Entertainment, Inc. and General Manager of hip-hop label Beatmart Recordings), Sparkman returned to Salem in 2014 from a Dir. of Communications position in the United Methodist Church. He became the Managing Editor of CCM Magazine in January 2015.